Chinese FM: Russia-US agreement on Syria to favour peaceful settlement of crisis

The US-Russia framework agreement on elimination of Syria’s chemical weapon has opened new options for use of peaceful methods in settlement of the problem with the Syrian chemical weapon, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during negotiations with France’s Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius on Sunday. The Chinese foreign minister said his country was for UN’s “resolution on Syria,” which would include details of “the solution of the issue about the chemical weapon.” He stressed the Security Council should be playing an important role and said “military methods cannot settle the Syrian crisis.” Wang Yi said the framework agreement had a positive impact on the “current volatile and tense situation in Syria.” “We believe the framework agreement has improved the situation,” Wang Yi said. Earlier, China’s foreign ministry said Beijing was against whatever use of chemical weapon and supported the UN’s independent inspection of possible use of the weapon of the kind in Syria.